Changing a family's RU history

Brian Dohn

12/15/2009

Rutgers linebacker and special teams player jim Dumont has impressive family lineage when it comes to the Scarlet Knights, but he also has something his father and uncle, who made their marks in the early 1980s, do not. He is heading to his fourth straight bowl game, and that is something talked about frequently in the Rutgers-dominated household.

When Texas visited Rutgers Stadium during the one-win 1999 season, Jim Dumont was on the sideline.

When the alumni beat the Scarlet Knights in the spring game during coach Terry Shea's tenure, Dumont was there, watching his father help in the win.

And now that Rutgers is heading to its fifth straight bowl game, and Dumont is getting his fourth bowl ring, the fourth-year junior walk-on linebacker and special teams player is ready to flaunt his rings toward his two well-known elders.

His father, Jim Sr., was an all-American linebacker at Rutgers in the early 1980s. His uncle, Bob, was also a standout linebacker with the Scarlet Knights.

"I rub it in their face a little bit,'' the younger Dumont said while laughing. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I don't wear them. They're pretty much just for decoration but they have them at the house. They're proud of them. I'm not really big into bowl rings, so if they are, they can have them.''

With the Scarlet Knights meeting Central Florida in Saturday's St. Petersburg Bowl, the postseason is old hat for Dumont.

However, the closest his dad came was 1979 -- the year after Rutgers played in the Garden State Bowl – when the Scarlet Knights finished 8-3. The highlight of the season was a 13-7 win at Tennessee, but it didn't end with a bowl berth.

Jim didn't play in 1980, but he and Bob were together from 1981-83, when the Scarlet Knights fell on hard times and went 13-20.

"Oh, they're jealous,'' Jim Jr. said. "They're always teasing me. They were both here four and five years, and they never got to a bowl game. They never went. They were obviously disappointed, but they have just as much fun now.''

With roots so close to Rutgers, Dumont said it was never a question where he would attend college.

"It's been my dream,'' he said. "I was on the sideline for games in the Texas, Notre Dame, Miami days, when they would just roll over Rutgers. My family always stayed Scarlet Knights fans and it's always where I wanted to be, and I couldn't be more excited with how this team is going.

"I know a lot of these guys never heard of Rutgers before coach (Greg) Schiano got here, and if it wasn't for him, most of these people wouldn't be here. It just goes to show you the job he's done.''